using System;

using System.Collections;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Collections.ObjectModel;

using System.Linq;

using KGySoft.CoreLibraries;

​

public class Example

{

    public static void Main()

    {

        // between convertible types: like the Convert class but supports also enums in both ways

        ConvertTo<int>("123"); // culture can be specified, default is InvariantCulture

        ConvertTo<float>(ConsoleColor.Blue);

        ConvertTo<ConsoleColor>(13); // this would fail by Convert.ChangeType

​

        // TypeConverters are used if possible:

        ConvertTo<Guid>("AADC78003DAB4906826EFD8B2D5CF33D");

​

        // New conversions can be registered:

        typeof(long).RegisterConversion(typeof(IntPtr), (obj, type, culture) => new IntPtr((long)obj));

        ConvertTo<IntPtr>(42L); // success

​

        // Registered conversions can be used as intermediate steps:

        ConvertTo<IntPtr>('x'); // char => long => IntPtr

​

        // Collection conversion is also supported:

        ConvertTo<bool[]>(new List<int> { 1, 0, 0, 1 });

        ConvertTo<List<int>>("Blah"); // works because string is an IEnumerable<char>

        ConvertTo<string>(new[] { 'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o' }); // because string has a char[] constructor

        ConvertTo<ReadOnlyCollection<string>>(new[] { 1.0m, 2, -1 }); // via the IList<T> constructor

​

        // even between non-generic collections:

        ConvertTo<ArrayList>(new HashSet<int> { 1, 2, 3 });

        ConvertTo<Dictionary<ConsoleColor, string>>(new Hashtable { { 1, "One" }, { "Black", 'x' } });

    }

​

    private static void ConvertTo<T>(object source)

    {

        Console.Write($"{source.GetType().GetName(TypeNameKind.ShortName)} => {typeof(T).GetName(TypeNameKind.ShortName)}: {AsString(source)} => ");

        try

        {

            T result = source.Convert<T>(); // a culture can be specified here for string conversions

            Console.WriteLine(AsString(result));

        }

        catch (Exception e)

        {

            Console.WriteLine(e.Message.Replace(Environment.NewLine, " "));

        }

    }

​

    private static string AsString(object obj)

    {

        if (obj == null)

            return "<null>";

​

        // KeyValuePair has a similar ToString to this one

        if (obj is DictionaryEntry de)

            return $"[{de.Key}, {de.Value}]";

​

        if (obj is not IEnumerable || obj is string)

            return obj.ToString();

​

        return ((IEnumerable)obj).Cast<object>().Select(AsString).Join(", ");

    }

}

​